Flather planer questions

romie24 · Apr 18, 2016

Hey all
I just acquired a Mark Flather planer and I will post pictures after its in the shop later today. Its missing the flat belts but I know I can get them . I guess my question would be just how to measure for new belts knowing that they have to have some slip for the pulleys. The table measure 109.5" by 23.5" Anyone out there have one of these that may help with belting questions.Or is there a good way to by pass the belts and mount another drive system of sorts. Thanks mike

Blazemaster · Apr 18, 2016

This guy can help you with belts.

http://www.flatdrivebelts-anysize.com/

I think if you wanted to use another belt system, it would need to fit on the flat belt pulleys on the machine or you would need to replace the pulleys.

Would love to see some pics, I just picked up a planer around that size as well.

stephen thomas · Apr 18, 2016

I guess my question would be just how to measure for new belts knowing that they have to have some slip for the pulleys.

IME that would be a mistake.
You do not want them to slip.

FWIW, I used the leather & fabric belts my planer came with until one broke, and the one on the "second belt drive" (Primary drive, actually) stretched to far to avoid slip in deep cuts.

Then I got the rubber stuff at Tractor supply, ripped it to width on the tablesaw, taper spliced the ends, and used Loctite super glue for plastics to splice them.

Are your shifter ends split, so a complete spliced belt will go through and onto the pullies? If not, you may want to split them, but it is a judgement call since it is hard to predict where the edge of the crossed-belt will hit. Or use Clippers. I ran clippers when re-working the old belts to get them tight enough but my W-B planer has aluminum pullies for low intertia, and the clippers are hard on them. Should be a non-issue for CI. If clippers are used, there would be no need to split the shifter ends. Nor, I guess would careful glue splice work in situ.

smt

romie24 · Apr 18, 2016

Here are some pictures of it. Thanks for the info , when I said so slip I was thinking of how they would have to slide back and forth. I did see some guys on Youtube where the belts had to slide from one pulley to the next

romie24 · Apr 18, 2016

enginebill · Apr 18, 2016

To get the proper length for your belt, measure around the outside of your drive and driven pulleys with a tape measure. Then subtract .1 inches for each foot of belt length. If you measured 10' then cut the belt 9'11". That is a good size planer.

Joe in NH · Apr 18, 2016

enginebill said:
To get the proper length for your belt, measure around the outside of your drive and driven pulleys with a tape measure. Then subtract .1 inches for each foot of belt length. If you measured 10' then cut the belt 9'11". That is a good size planer.

Nice in that it has some length on the bed/platen - but is not GINORMOUS on the bridge work.

I once saw a Pond planer which was about 18" between upright, but a full 12 feet on bed. The owner called it a "rod planer", apparently because they were popular for planing the side of connecting rods for locomotives and other reciprocating engines.

Joe in NH

stephen thomas · Apr 18, 2016

As far as whether to change the drive from belts - I would not, at least 'til you run it a while.
All things considered, belts are cheap, and they made an awful lot of planers that worked just fine with the system.

The traditional alternatives to belts are either a hydraulic system, or some pretty heavy duty and complex electrical generation/regeneration systems.

Yes, the belts shift back and forth from the drive/forward travel, to the faster pullies for reverse, then back again to drive the cutting stroke, etc, etc. a belt shift for every table reverse direction. But you don't want them slipping, or they will in the cut, and may spin or come off on the reverse stroke. They may chirp on the faster table reverse stroke, but you don't want to encourage it.

I do find that a VFD is a very handy drive for table speed adjustment.

Nice machine!

smt

romie24 · Apr 19, 2016

I was able to get a couple of 5 hp motors with vfd,s . I would think that would be enough hp. Hopefully in a week or 2 I can have her up and running. I have a couple more questions about the machine but I will take more pictures first. Thanks for the info. Mike

Richard King · Apr 19, 2016

I used to own 2 planners a open-side Cleveland and a Pond. I bought leather belts from a local industrial supply house and used one of these to install the alligator clips and used cat gut pin to hold them together. That way you can adjust the belts when they stretch or cut and splice your own when new. I believe you can contact vintage farm machinery supply companies and still buy them today.http://www.haytools.com/images/Clipper vice lacer.jpg

Be sure you have the lube pockets clean on the table ways. Does yours have spring loaded rollers to roll the oil out of the pockets and onto the ways? If the ways are not scored but are still flat,you may want to 1/2 moon flake the ways now when it is apart. I am sure you know to flip the table and stone the ways to remove any burs. Also I would make a bridge level to check bed way parallelism as even that old big casting can twist. Rich

Sunset Machine · Apr 19, 2016

Mine had no belt, so I threw a tape measure around things. It almost landed on 10 feet, so that's where I went and with a glued joint to pass through the shifter. Slap the belt with your hand, tighten until it feels "live" and maybe a little more. I loosen mine when not in use.

If the light is right I can see faint tracks on the work, guessing it's from a combination of the gearing and the belt stretching and relaxing. A fault of the system, likely why some went hydraulic and others to a worm drive. Nice if the machine came that way, but converting strikes me as way too much work and expense for so little return.

Keep your belts loose until you get familiar. It looks like a lathe tool but it isn't. You'll dig in, snap tips and all that. Best to let the belt slip.

romie24 · Jul 31, 2017

Well its been a while but I finally have her up and running . Here are a couple of pictures .I have a video I'll see if I can post it . Planing A516 GR 70 weld joints preps so we can roll it into a body for valves we build here. Had to make the gear for the feed as the originals are missing. Has a 5 hp 3 phase motor with a Eaton HVX 9000 VFD.

romie24 · Jul 31, 2017

Dropbox - 217-7-31 8.31.44.mp4. See if this works. I am taking .060 off at a pass. I know its not a "planer" tool holder, and I haven't painted the machine yet, but working great for me at the moment.

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